What's the difference between cavil and demur?

Cavil


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To raise captious and frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason.
  • (v. t.) To cavil at.
  • (n.) A captious or frivolous objection.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) There's another cavil about the Moritz gift, and that is the anxiety that the dawning of a new age of philanthropy heralds a further withdrawal of the state from the funding of English universities.
  • (2) In normal subjects the results are comparable with the results published by Cavill et al (1977).
  • (3) One of the apprentice carpenters at Bridgend, Luke Cavill, 20, was looking forward to voting for the first time.
  • (4) Cumberbatch has clearly arrived in the US media – he follows the likes of The Avengers' Tom Hiddleston and Man of Steel's Henry Cavill in appearing on the kids' TV show.
  • (5) A statement from DC and Warner Bros said: “In a massive expansion of the Studio’s DC Entertainment-branded content, Warner Bros Pictures and New Line Cinema will release a slate of at least 10 movies – as well as standalone Batman and Superman films – from 2016 through 2020 that expands this prized universe of characters: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder (2016) Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer (2016) Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot (2017) Justice League Part One, directed by Zack Snyder, with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprising their roles (2017) The Flash, starring Ezra Miller (2018) Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa (2018) Shazam (2019) Justice League Part Two, directed by Zack Snyder (2019) Cyborg, starring Ray Fisher (2020) Green Lantern (2020) Facebook Twitter Pinterest The second Avengers movie, Age of Ultron, is being released by Marvel next year.
  • (6) I thought this was all fair enough, although surely, I cavilled, if building simulacra of Neolithic houses and learning how to flint knap is our new route to the past, then really the actual monument itself is somewhat besides the point.
  • (7) Last month, it was confirmed that Ben Affleck will star as the caped crusader opposite Henry Cavill's last son of Krypton.
  • (8) Tom Hardy and Idris Elba are first and second, ahead of Homeland’s Damian Lewis, Poldark’s Aidan Turner, and the Superman star Henry Cavill.
  • (9) Though counts may cavil and marquises moan , the Spanish parliament, backed by the Spanish electorate, has now put a stop to this kind of discrimination – a policy powerfully endorsed by the king (though succession in the monarchy remains, for the moment, exempt from reform).
  • (10) Christian Bale will return as Batman opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in a Justice League movie overseen by Christopher Nolan , according to an influential US blog.
  • (11) The main body of the report included lots of cavils about the claim to see the "discernible human influence".
  • (12) Then, a slew of superhero signings was spotted; the British-raised Andrew Garfield was cast as Spider-Man, Welshman Christian Bale as Batman, and the Stowe-educated Henry Cavill as Superman.
  • (13) If Nolan, Snyder and Cavill are involved, we can expect a more serious-minded Justice League to emerge, one that eschews the comic books' throwaway primary colour brashness for a more furrow-browed, stylish and atmospheric take.
  • (14) Cavill auditioned for the role of Batman before losing out to Bale for the 2005 film, and was also reportedly up for James Bond prior to Daniel Craig's appointment for 2006's Casino Royale.
  • (15) Early signs from Man of Steel so far have also hinted that Cavill's Superman could just about live in the same universe as Nolan's Batman, but it would still be a spectacular coup if Warner pulled it off.
  • (16) Now imagine a Justice League film with Christian Bale's tortured Batman and Henry Cavill's navel-gazing Superman suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a completely unheralded Martian Manhunter, who's nipped round for a coffee to show off holiday snaps of his recent trip to Pluto.
  • (17) Zack Snyder will direct the follow-up to his $630m global hit Man of Steel and will reunite with his Superman, Henry Cavill.
  • (18) By teaming Bale with Cavill, the star of this summer's heavily hyped Zack Snyder-directed Man of Steel , the studio believes it could compete with Joss Whedon 's The Avengers II and JJ Abrams ' Star Wars: Episode VII.
  • (19) The Dark Knight 's Christopher Nolan, who oversaw the film in a much-hyped "godfather" producer's role, may have less input into the follow-up, which would be expected to see Britain's Henry Cavill reprising his role as Kal-El.
  • (20) Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman in 2015's Man of Steel sequel, the storyline of which is said to be inspired by Frank Miller's iconic 1986 graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns.

Demur


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To linger; to stay; to tarry.
  • (v. i.) To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair.
  • (v. i.) To scruple or object; to take exception; as, I demur to that statement.
  • (v. i.) To interpose a demurrer. See Demurrer, 2.
  • (v. t.) To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of or hesitate about.
  • (v. t.) To cause delay to; to put off.
  • (v. i.) Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) His monstrous wardrobe, his entourages of 300 or 400 ferried in four aeroplanes, his huge bedouin tent, complete with accompanying camel, pitched in public parks or in the grounds of five-star hotels – and his bodyguards of gun-toting young women, who, though by no means hiding their charms beneath demure Islamic veils, were all supposedly virgins, and sworn to give their lives for their leader.
  • (2) When the time came for Mayer to give a speech, she demurred for a moment before standing.
  • (3) Strange then that among my generation of friends, adolescent in the early 1980s, there was a sort of discretion verging on the demure when it came to discussing contraception.
  • (4) Pressed on whether the upheaval has reached him, Frost repeatedly, if unsurprisingly, demurs.
  • (5) I’d ask that, instead of demanding black voters’ unquestioning loyalty to Sanders, they interrogate what racism is before demurring to a class analysis that still leaves my working-class family members dead in the street.
  • (6) The Villa clamours for attention on the waterfront, the embarrassingly shouty younger sibling of its more demure neighbour, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem).
  • (7) Pressed in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in mid-October, he demurred.
  • (8) Asked by the Associated Press whether her instant fame had led her to think about higher political office – there has been speculation she could run against Perry for the governor's mansion or attempt to gain a Texas seat in the US senate – she demurred.
  • (9) Asked directly if it was fair to say that Obama has been a better president for America than Putin has been for Russia, Cornyn demurred: “I’m not gonna go down that path.” Bob Corker, the senator from Tennessee who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, also initially said he was no longer responding to each one of Trump’s controversial statements.
  • (10) The Pope liked Benedictines and told Hume, when he demurred at the appointment, that he was asking him to accept "the call of the Lord."
  • (11) This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue.” Trump demurred on Wednesday when asked if he would release his tax returns before the November election, saying it was “not a big deal” and that he had released 104 pages of documents related to his business dealings.
  • (12) The three Alexander McQueen outfits that made the most front pages from the Duchess of Cambridge's recent tour wardrobe were: a sky blue belted knee-length coat, accessorised with navy round-toe suede shoes and a matching clutch bag; a demure dove grey coat with a jaunty grey hat; and a ballet-shoe pink peplum top and skirt, which the duchess wore with LK Bennett courts and pearl drop earrings.
  • (13) Upon learning that an internal campaign memo had instructed surrogates to demur on questions about Trump University, Trump said in a conference call on Monday that they instead should attack journalists who raised the point.
  • (14) The alternative would be to break out of character at the end, and demurely ask for money – which, again, would rather break the spell.
  • (15) Accommodation was provided by Le Manoir in Gemenos (doubles from €90 a night), Domaine de Valbrillant in Meyreuil (from €75) and Le Demure Insoupconnée in Cassis (from €130).
  • (16) He has generally been seen as a Labour supporter and doesn't demur when I mention that perception, so would the coming of a Conservative government next year present problems for him?
  • (17) If the Italian is seen as high maintenance his appointment is also regarded as a high-stakes gamble on Short's part, but Di Canio demurred.
  • (18) "We should put a spit up his ass," said Susan Hennesy, a demure-looking software engineer who works a few blocks away.
  • (19) Bankers are seen as greedy, librarians as demure, journalists as sleazy, nurses as angels and estate agents as dishonest.
  • (20) That may have come as a surprise to the assembled dignitaries, but of course none demurred.